MATCH REPORT: Coventry City 1-0 Crawley Town - The Sky Blues advance to the last 16 of the Checkatrade Trophy

7 December 2016

Billie Marshall

Marvin Sordell on the scoresheet as City defeat Crawley Town to advance into the third round...

The Sky Blues advanced to the last 16 of the Checkatrade Trophy after victory against Crawley Town at the Ricoh.

Marvin Sordell scored the only goal of the game, latching onto the end of a George Thomas cross, as City maintained their 100% record in the competition.

In a quiet opening to the contest, the Sky Blues were dominating possession without creating anything of note against a stubborn Crawley defence. Chris McCann fired the ball into the feet of Thomas, but as forward turned into space he could only blaze it over the bar.

A quick thinking free kick nearly brought City the opening goal shortly after, as Jack McBean slipped it towards Sordell. The striker took one touch before curling it just wide of the post.

In a rare foray forward for the visiting side, Billy Clifford picked up the ball and ran at the City defence. The midfielder set his sights from 25-yards, but his curling effort was held comfortably by Reice Charles-Cook.

However, the City pressure soon told as the Sky Blues took a richly deserved lead. Thomas drove to the byline and flashed a ball across the six-yard box towards Sordell, who had the easiest of finishes past Mitchell Beeney in the Crawley goal.

City continued to come forward, as Jones and Thomas looked to double the Sky Blues’ advantage. The pair combined well, exchanging passes inside the Crawley box, before the latter mis-kicked his effort and the danger was cleared.

The visitors made a double substitution at half time and it nearly paid dividends as they forged their best chance of the match shortly after. Adi Yussuf escaped the City defence, but under pressure from McCann he fired over the bar.

An injury to Lewis Page had seemingly disrupted City’s rhythm as Crawley grew into the game. Yussuf again escaped the City defence, but Charles-Cook came to the Sky Blues’ rescue, saving superbly to deny the forward.

As City tried to retake their grip of the contest, Jodi Jones went close the doubling the advantage. A floated cross to the back post fell to Jones, and on the volley he flashed an effort across the box that went wide via a deflection.

The Sky Blues had the chance to wrap up the game with just five minutes remaining through substitute Marcus Tudgay. The striker won the ball in an advanced area and drove at the Crawley defence, before sliding an effort just past the far post.

City finished the stronger as Jones drove to the byline before cutting it back to the six-yard box towards Sordell. The striker held of his man but couldn’t find enough space to shoot inside a crowded Crawley defence.